Somerville land‑use board hears revisions, carries self‑storage application after floodproofing concerns

The Somerville Land Use Board heard testimony on a proposed five‑story self‑storage building at 79 Route 206 on a hearing continued from an earlier meeting; the board carried the application to Aug. 19, 2026, after the applicant agreed to further study ways to keep first‑floor storage units out of recurring floodwaters.

Applicant attorney Jason Tubal told the board the team had revised plans after prior comments and public input, including moving the trash enclosure "under the building" to reduce visibility and potential impacts, adding gates to prevent after‑hours parking and refining the building's appearance and landscaping. "We resubmitted plans . . . for the board's consideration," he said.

Paul (identified in the record as the project civil engineer) described site‑level technical changes, including a stormwater redesign. He said the revised plan "fully upgraded the storm water management system to provide for the D regulations for a major development," adding an underground basin to collect roof runoff, infiltrate some water and provide detention and water‑quality treatment before discharge to the existing outfall. The team said those changes will reduce uncontrolled runoff compared with the current paved condition.

Board members focused much of the questioning on flooding and the ground‑floor units. The engineer said parts of the site previously experienced roughly 1–2 feet of water during the storm known in the hearing as "Ida," and that the applicant must comply with state flood‑hazard rules. He described two standard approaches to protecting ground‑floor areas: "dry" floodproofing (removable barriers at doors) and "wet" strategies that let water enter noncritical spaces while protecting critical areas. The applicant indicated an intent to dry‑floodproof the 17 listed first‑floor storage units but acknowledged final approvals and detailed design remain subject to state review.

Several residents asked whether hazardous materials stored by tenants could pose an environmental risk to nearby wetlands if floodwaters carried contents out of units. A resident asked, "Have you considered an environmental hazard . . . if somebody stores photographic chemicals in there?" The engineer and applicant replied that typical self‑storage leases prohibit hazardous materials and that the state's review would address environmental and safety questions.

Planner Matthew Secler presented architectural renderings and planning testimony, saying the team had softened the façade with wood‑look metal panels, opaque glazing to avoid interior glare, rooftop screening placed away from residences and added street trees and ground‑level lighting focused toward Route 206. Secler argued the self‑storage use fits the unusually constrained lot — where wetlands and floodplain rules limit buildable area — and compared its traffic profile favorably to other allowed B6 uses such as restaurants or retail.

Despite those changes, multiple board members and neighbors remained concerned about first‑floor exposure to floodwaters, the potential for mold or discarded contents on the curb after a flood, and the difficulty of deploying flood barriers on short notice. After an off‑record consultation, the applicant agreed to explore options to raise or otherwise remove first‑floor unit exposure (including eliminating exterior roll‑up doors or raising ground‑floor areas) and to show cut‑off lighting along the residential side on revised plans.

The board carried the application to Aug. 19, 2026, at 7 p.m. in Somerville Borough Hall without further notice so the applicant can return with updated drawings and floodproofing details. The hearing included routine procedural actions earlier in the meeting: roll call, excusal of three absences and approval of June 17, 2026 minutes by roll call vote.

What happens next: the applicant will coordinate final stormwater and floodproofing designs with the state D permitting authorities and return to the board on Aug. 19 with revised plans addressing the ground‑floor units and residential buffering.